Railroad-ferry



(No Model.) 1 '5 Shets-Sheet 2. J. A. 8: J. E. IRONS. RAILROAD PERRY.

No. 496,831. Patented May 2, 1893;

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WITNESSES.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5. J. A. 82; J. E. IRONS.

RAILROAD FERRY.

No. 496,831. Patented May 2, 1893.

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i z? %(i 401M; 4 4) J STAT-Es PATENT ()FFIQE.

JAMES A. IRONS AND JOHN E. IRONS, OF MONACA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-FERRY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,831, dated May 2, 1893.

Application filed November 8, 1892. Serial No. 451.383. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, JAMES A. IRONS and JOHN E. IRONS, of Monaca, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Ferries 3 and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon,

which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to a certain improved railroad ferry.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus whereby cars, freight or passengers can be easily transported across rivers or other bodies of water, without in any way obstructing navigation, and which shall be comparatively cheap and easily constructed.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in combinations of parts more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:-- Figure l is a diagrammatical view illustrating the railroad ferry, the end piers or slips and the traveling support or tower extending above the water and traveling on the track laid on the bed of the stream. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of one of the end piers or slips. Fig. 3 is an end view thereof. Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation .of the carriage or traveling tower, parts being broken away and shown in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is an end View thereof.

In the drawings the reference letter a, indicates a suitable track strongly constructed and laid across the bed of a stream or other body of water. This track is preferably laid on the piles b, or some other strong rigid foundation. The inclines c, are rigidly secured on the up stream sides of the rails so as to carry all drift, 850., up over and beyond the rails. The rails of the track preferably have wide treads and hangers d, depend from the carriage e, and carry rollers f, bearing against the under sides of the treads of the rails. These hangers and rollers hold the carriage on the rails. An inclined frame 9 is secured beneath the floor of the car.

at its upper end to the upper portion of the carriage and extends downwardly and down Stream therefrom and at its lower end is provided with the rollers or Wheels h, which travel on the rail or track i.

This track 1', is located down stream from the main track. This track 11, and brace frame 9 are designed to hold the carriage against being tilted downstream by the force of the stream or floating ice, &c., therein. The carriage is formed of a skeleton frame work-of iron or other suitable strong metal of such a height as to extend a considerable distance above any probable high water mark. This carriage or tower is mounted on suitable trucks having their wheels traveling on said track. The carriage is provided with shoes j,'moving on the rails of the main track in front of the wheels toreinove obstructions from the rails. The carriage has prows or beaks k, on both ends arranged at such points as to cut or break ice or protect the carriage against floating drifts or logs. Y,

Z, indicates a car or body carried by the carriage and adapted to carry the street cars, freight, or passengers to be transported across the water.

The floor of the car is provided with tracks where streetcars are to be transported, and

of course the car can be provided with suitable devices for preventing danger of persons falling from the car. This car is held a suitable distance above the water and can be raised and lowered by the cable m, preferably located at the corners of the car and secured to the uprights of the carriage a distance below their upper ends and passing up over pulleys n, on the upper ends of said uprights and down around pulleys 0, on the bottom of the car to the drums p. These drums are secured on a shaft q, suitably journaled This shaft q, is geared to a wheel r, in the car, so that the car can be raised and lowered by rotating the wheel. The wheel can be provided with a suitable lock and can be operated by hand or some suitable power. As the car is vertically adjustable it can be raised or lowered as the water rises and falls, so that the car can always be kept above the water. The car is supported at the desired height by the sliding supports 8 s, on the under side of the car ICO and operated by lever 25, fulcrumed on the under side of the car and provided with lever at, extending above the floor of the car so that when it is desired to adj ust the car the levers are swung in such directions that the sliding supports will be drawn in out of the notches o in the uprights of the carriage. When the car has been moved to the proper position the levers are operated to project the slides out beyond the sides of the car into the notches or holes in the uprights at that point. These notches or holes are arranged in vertical series along the inner sides of the uprights.

a, indicates avertical shaft mounted in the carriage and of about the same height thereof and at its lower end connected by gearing b with the axle of the driving wheels. This shaft 0t extends up through the car and is provided with a longitudinal groove 0" A bevel gear d is located on this shaft so as to rotate with the same but be capable of vertical movement thereon. This gear is hung in a suitable bracket secured to the car. Thus when'the car moves up and down the gear 01' moves with it on the shaft 01/.

eindicates a suitable propelling motor in the car geared to drive the horizontal shaft f which is geared to the bevel wheel d to rotate the same and propel the car.

Any suitable propelling power can be employed as steam or electricity and the motor is so connectedand arranged as to be controlled by an operator in the car and so as to be reversible and hence propelflthe carriage in I either direction back and forth through the water.

The piers 2 at each end of the sub marine track have their roadways supported at'suitable distances above the water and in continuation of and about on the same levels as the streets or roads on the respective banks of the stream. Each pier has a swinging platform 3, suitably pivoted at its inner end,

at 4, in the pier so that its outer. end can I be swung vertically to maintain its outer of the car. These swinging platforms are raised or lowered as the car is adjusted in the carriage by any suitable means; such as cables 5, secured thereto and passing around pulleys 6 and 7 on the platforms and piers and wound on w'indlasses 8, on the platforms. These windlassescan be provided with suitable operating means. The platforms are usually counterweighted. The inner ends of the platforms are rounded so that there will be no opening or crack between the inner edges of the platforms and floors of the piers as the platforms are swung.

Swinging gates 9, are located in the piers to close the entrance to the swinging platforms when the carriage is not located at the. pier. The normal position of each gate is closed and extending across the roadway of the pier. Each gate is yieldingly held inthe gate in this position.

closed horizontal position by its own weight, and is automatically operated to open by the connection 11, secured to the shortend of the gate down around a pulley inthe pier and then forwardly to lever 12, pivoted at the outer end of the platform so that its upper free end will extend upwardly and outwardly. As the carriage approaches the pier the car will engage the free end of said lever and swing it inwardly and thereby operate said connection to swing the gate up and open the passage. The car holds said lever and the As soon as the carriage leaves the pier said lever swings out and thereby permits the gate to return to its normal position and close the passage.

The car is provided with hooks 1?. at its opposite ends to engage portions of the platforms of the piers and holds the carriage in position until ready to start when the hook is released.

The apparatus is very simple and cheap and easily operated and will in no way interfere with navigation.

It isevident that various changes might be resorted to in the forms constructions and arrangements of the parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention, hence we do not wish to limit our selves'to the exact construction herein set forth.

Having thus fully described our invention,

- what we claim as new, and'desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is'

1. A railroad ferry comprising the submarine track the carriage movable oh said track,

; and extending above the surface of the water and the vertically adjustable car carried by said carriage.

2. A railroad ferry comprising the subma- 1 rine track, the end piers having swinging platforms, the carriage movable on the track between said piers and having the vertically adjustable car, substantially as described.

Ina railroad ferry, the submarine track having theinclines on the up stream sides edge always in the same plane with the floor thereofand the carriage movableon said track.

4. In a railroad ferry, the submarine track, an elevated rail beside said track, the carriage movable on said track and provided with means for holding it on the track, and having the lateral brace frame provided with wheels traveling on said side rails, substantially as described.

5. In a railroad ferry, the carriage or traveling tower traveling on the submarine track, and extending above the water, the vertically adjustable car in said carriage, and extensible driving gear from a motor in said tower to the wheels of the carriage.

6, In a railroad ferry, the carriage arranged to travel on a submarine track, the vertically adjustable car in said carriage, a vertical shaft mounted in said carriage and connected to drive the wheels of the carriage and extending above the car, a driving wheel for said shaft carried by said car and vertically adjustable on said shaft, and driving means in the car to rotate said Wheels.

7. In a railroad ferry, the carriage extending above the water, the vertically adjustable car in said carriage, cables arranged substantially as described for raising and lowering the car and operated by drums carried by the car and supports for holding the car in the desired vertical adjustment.

8. In a railroad ferry the submarine track the carriage traveling and held on said track and provided with shoes j for removing obstructions from the same and provided with prows or beaks at about the level of the wa- 15 ter, and the car carried by the carriage.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. IRONS. JOHN E. IRONS. Witnesses:

WM. V. GEORGE, E. H. DoUDs. 

